As we begin decorating and curating our spaces with festive decor, where do you plan to shop for new pieces? I’ll take a wild guess and wager that might involve raiding the holiday section at Target? And if I guessed your response correctly, don’t worry, it’s not met with judgement because if so, I’d be a hypocrite. I know I’ll never stop excitedly browsing the isles of Target, but what I can tell you, is that there is an additional option! Foraging is the lovely art of searching for wild flowers, plants & food. It’s this pastime that you need to adopt, for beautiful, homemade decor this holiday season. Allow me to teach you how I did just that, to craft a foraged winter wreath. The process made for a lovely afternoon!
Homemade Holidays:
Create Your Own Foraged Winter Wreath
The Materials:
– foraged greens
– scissors
– ribbon
The Basics of Foraging:
1. Know where to go
Of course, before you can begin crafting your wreath, you’ll need to know where to find the greens! When I went foraging, I simply visited a local park. Although I’m not sure about the legality of picking a couple greens from a park, I’d say just be discrete and you should be fine! Other great places to explore is anywhere with a lot of unmanaged weeds & plant life or any wooded areas you may come across.
The type of greens I’d go for most are the kind you can find from trees. The most common type of tree you’ll want to shoot for first, is a pine tree. That’s where I got my materials from but don’t be afraid to make an evening out of it, explore a little and find other unique greens!
2. Trim branches long enough
When trimming branches from trees, be sure to cut long enough. It’s better to make adjustments later when you’re putting the wreath together, then to have material that won’t work. So as a basic rule of thumb, cut each branch the length of your arm. Another point to note: bring strong enough scissors. Most craft store and kitchen scissors won’t get the job done, so I recommend buying a pair specifically for foraging and cutting flowers, like these.
3. Come prepared with a basket
Don’t forget, you will need something to carry your greens in! Try bringing either a basket or a cute basket bag like this one. It will make the whole process so much easier and enjoyable! Plus, a bag like the option I linked, works great for visiting flower farms and farmers markets in the spring.
4. Dress functionally for a pleasant foraging trip
A more obvious point and yet, I wouldn’t put it past some people to forget to dress functionally. (An often made mistake by yours truly!) Don’t worry about going foraging dressed frumpy, as there are cute ways to dress functionally. What you’ll want to be concerned about most is wearing something comfortable with the proper shoes and dressing accordingly to the weather.
During the late fall and winter, that usually means I’ll be in a pair of Hunter boots and jeans. Overalls with a sweater are also a great, cute option too! I can’t recommend enough wearing Hunter boots. They look cute and are very easy to walk through wooded areas in. My current favorite pair are these ones. I mean, how cute is the print on them? During the spring and summer, try pairing your boots with shorts and a short-sleeve blouse!
How to Put Together Your Wreath:
1. Gather up the branches, from the bottom down
There are many styles in which you can craft your wreath, but I went for a less traditional shape. Instead of creating a circular shape, I bunched the branches together, facing from the bottom down, so that my wreath would hang flat, top to bottom.
2. Wrap the ribbon around the bunched branches, in a bow
Once you have bunched the branches together, take your ribbon and tie it in a bow around them! This is the pretty detail that will ready add character to your wreath. To add extra detailing, I layered a sheer ribbon with a solid one. If you can find it, I think a velvet ribbon would be beautiful for the holidays!
3. Hang on your wall and admire your creation!
Yep, that’s really it! This is probably one of the simplest diy’s you will craft this holiday season! And what I love about it most is how it brings natural elements indoors. Doesn’t it also come off a lot more homey than commercial? One thing you’ll quickly learn if you follow my blog, is that I’m all about the cozy details that make home, really feel like home!
